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The Tokyo Metropolitan Police made public today the arrest of 4 Japanese citizens for running an illegal bookmaking operation in Japan. It has put out an international warrant against a fifth Japanese citizen, thought to be residing in Hong Kong.

The suspects are accused of taking bets from Japanese citizens on Japanese races through a website based on the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts. According to Japanese criminal law, only the Japanese Racing Association and the National Association of Racing can take bets from Japanese residents.

The amount of Internet wagering for which the police has prove only amounts to an estimated 2,000,000 yen (16,000 US$). Although this wagering number is small, the case sets an important precedent in Japan and shows the need for international judicial cooperation